DISCLAIMER: The information in this circular relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is provided for general information only. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign legal counsel.

PLEASE NOTE: Iranian cases: If child is adopted in Iran, some of the parents claim that it takes 6 months to obtain the new birth records (shenasname). They keep asking us to process without birth certificate. We have noted that there were some families who could obtain the said document earlier than 6 months.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services. For U.S. based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located.

GENERAL: The following is a guide for U.S. citizens who are interested in adopting a child in Turkey and applying for an immigrant visa for the child to come to the United States. This process involves complex Turkish and U.S. legal requirements. U.S. consular officers give each petition careful consideration on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the legal requirements of both countries have been met, for the protection of the prospective adoptive parent(s), the biological parents(s) and the child. Interested U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to contact U.S. consular officials in Turkey before formalizing an adoption agreement to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed which will make it possible for the Embassy to issue a U.S. immigrant visa for the child.

AVAILABILITY OF CHILDREN FOR ADOPTION: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to orphans:

FY-1997: IR-3 immigrant visas issued to Turkey orphans adopted abroad - 0
IR-4 immigrant visas issued to Turkey orphans adopted in the U.S. - 7
FY-1998: IR-3 Visas - 1, IR-4 Visas - 0
FY-1999: IR-3 Visas - 5, IR-4 Visas - 4
FY-2000: IR-3 Visas - 2, IR-4 Visas - 8
FY-2001: IR-3 Visas - 1, IR-4 Visas - 3

TURKEY ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The government office responsible for adoptions in Turkey is the T.C. Basbakanlik Sosyal Hizmetler ve Cocuk Esirgeme Kurumu Genel Mudurlugu.
Address
Anafartalar Cad. N: 70 Ulus
Ankara, Turkey
Phone: 90-312-231 9665
Fax: 90-312-231 0650

TURKEY ADOPTION PROCEDURES: There are two ways to adopt a child in Turkey:
1. By reaching an agreement between biological parent(s) and adoptive parent(s), follow up the legal procedures, and sign up a contract at a notary public.
2. Through the adoption authority, from the orphanage.
(Note: The adoptive parents should be careful when making arrangements with third persons)

AGE AND CIVIL STATUS REQUIREMENTS: According to the present law (which is about to change, The Parliament is working on the new Civil Code which has major changes): The adoptive parent must be at least 35 years old and the adoptive parent and child must have at least 18 years age difference. The adoptive parent must not have a child. In the case of a married couple, both spouses may jointly adopt the child. If only one adopts the child, the other must give his or her consent. The adoptive parent may also be single.

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: Only private attorneys, no agencies. Attached please find the selective list of attorneys in Ankara Consular District and consular district of Istanbul (*)

DOCTORS: The U.S. Embassy maintains current lists of doctors and sources for medicines, should either you or your child experience health problems while in Turkey.
Name/Add
Dr. Fevzi Renda
Iran Caddesi No:15/2
Kavaklidere, Ankara
Tel: 90-312-467 0006
Hours: 10:00 - 18:00

Dr. Isfendiyar Candan
Mithatpasa Cad. No:68/1
Yenisehir, Ankara
Tel: 90-312-418 6780
90-312-425 7773
Hours: 15:00 - 19:00

Dr. Lale Tuncel
Tunali Hilmi Cad. No:79/4
Kavaklidere, Ankara
Tel: 90-312-467 0010
90-312-468 6151
Hours: 10:00 - 18:00

Admiral Bristol Hospital
Guzelbahce Sokak Nisantasi, Istanbul
Tel: 90-212-230 0165
Hours: Mon-Fri 13:00
Saturday 10:00

TURKEY DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS:
· Civil documents showing the adoptive parents' civil status; (e.i. marriage license, birth record)
· Financial documents;
· Police clearance documents;
· Health records of adoptive parent.

U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

A Turkish child adopted by an American citizen must obtain an immigrant visa before he or she can enter the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident. There are two distinct categories of immigrant visas available to children adopted by American citizens.

A Previously Adopted Child. Section 101(b)(1)(E) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act defines an "adopted child" as one who was adopted under the age of 16 and who has already resided with, and in the legal custody of, the adoptive parent for at least two years. Parents who can demonstrate that their adopted child meets this requirement may file an I-130 petition with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) having jurisdiction over their place of residence. Upon approval of the I-130 petition, the parents may apply for an immigrant visa for the child at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. American citizens who believe this category may apply to their adopted child should contact the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for more information.

An Orphan. If an adopted child has not resided with the adoptive parent for two years (or if the child has not yet even been adopted) the child must qualify under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act in order to apply for an immigrant visa. The main requirements of this section are as follows:

The adoptive or prospective adoptive parent must be an American citizen;

The child must be under the age of 16 at the time an I-600 Petition is filed with the INS on his or her behalf;

If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is married, his or her spouse must also be a party to the adoption;

If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is single, he or she must be at least 25 years of age;

The child must be an orphan, as defined by U.S. regulations. Although the definition of an orphan found in many dictionaries is "A child whose parents are dead," U.S. immigration law and regulations provide for a somewhat broader definition. Children who do not qualify under this definition, however, may not immigrate to the U.S. as an orphan even if legally adopted by an American Citizen. The Department of State encourages Americans to consider if a particular child is an orphan according to U.S. immigration law and regulations before proceeding with an adoption. A detailed description of the orphan definition used by INS can be found on INS's web site at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov.

U.S. IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR ORPHANS

I. The Petition.

Adoptive and prospective adoptive parents must obtain approval of a Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form I-600) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) before they can apply for an immigrant visa on behalf of an orphan. The adjudication of such petitions can be very time-consuming and parents are encouraged to begin the process well in advance.

A prospective adoptive parent may file Form I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence. This form allows the most time-consuming part of the process to be completed in advance, even before the parent has located a child to adopt. In addition, a parent who has an approved I-600A may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara .

Detailed information about filing these forms can be found on INS's web site at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov. Americans who have adopted or hope to adopt a child from Turkey should request, at the time they file these forms, that INS notify the U.S. Embassy in Ankara as soon as the form is approved. Upon receipt of such notification, the Embassy will contact the parents and provide additional instructions on the immigration process. U.S. consular officers may not begin processing an orphan adoption case until they have received formal notification of approval from an INS office in the US.

II. The Orphan Investigation

One part of the petition process that INS cannot complete in advance is the "orphan investigation". An orphan investigation Form I-604 Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation) is required in all orphan adoption cases - even if an I-600 has already been approved - and serves to verify that the child is an orphan as defined by US immigration law. This investigation is performed by a consular officer at the time of the child's immigrant visa interview.

TURKISH EMBASSY (and Consulates) IN THE UNITED STATES:
Turkish Embassy
1714 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C 20036
Phone: 659-8200

Turkey also has Consulates in:
1) Los Angeles, California (Consulate General)
2) Chicago, Illinois (CG)
3) New York, New York (CG)
4) Houston, Texas (CG)

U.S. EMBASSY (CONSULATE) IN TURKEY:
American Embassy
110 Ataturk Blvd.
06100 Ankara, Turkey
Kavaklidere
Tel: 90-312-455 5555
Fax: 90-312-468 6131

American Consulate General Istanbul
Mesrutiyet Caddesi No: 104/10
Tepebasi
80050 Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: 90-212-251 3602
Fax: 90-212-251 3632

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult INS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions.

QUESTIONS: Specific questions regarding adoption in Turkey may be addressed to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Turkey. You may also contact the Office of Children's Issues, U.S. Department of State, Room L-127, SA-1, 2401 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20522, Tel: (202) 736-7000 with specific questions.

Information is also available 24 hours a day from several sources:

Telephone - Office of Children's Issues - recorded information regarding changes in adoption procedures and general information, (202) 736-7000.- State Department Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adoptive children, (202) 663-1225.- Immigration and Naturalization Service - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).

Automated fax - contains the full text of the office's international adoption information flyers and general information brochure, International Adoptions. From the telephone on your fax machine, call (202) 647-3000.

Internet - the Consular Affairs web site, at: http://travel.state.gov contains international adoption information flyers and the International Adoptions brochure.

INS web site- http://www.ins.usdoj.gov

Other information:

Consular Information Sheets - published by the State Department and available for every country in the world, providing information such as the location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. The information is available 24 hours a day by calling the State Department's Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. The recordings are updated as new information becomes available, and are also accessible through the automated fax machine and the internet web site, as above.

© July 2001